Concepts of work, kinetic energy and potential energy are discussed; these concepts are combined with the work-energy theorem to provide a convenient means of analyzing an object or system of objects moving between an initial and final state.
Describe and apply the work–energy theorem Describe and calculate work and power Teacher Support Teacher Support The learning objectives in this section will help your students master the following standards:
Here the work-energy theorem can be used, because we have just calculated the net work W n e t and the initial kinetic energy, 1 2 m v 0 2 These calculations allow us to find the final kinetic energy, 1 2 m v 2 and thus the final speed v.
The Work-Energy Theorem is a concept in physics related to the dynamic motion of objects. It states that the work done on an object is equal to the change in its kinetic energy. This means that if you apply force to an object, you either speed it up or slow it down, depending on the direction of the force. For example, when you apply the brakes in a car, the braking force slows the car down ...
Recalling that kinetic energy, KE, is equal to 1 2 m v 2, this new expression for work is equal to the final kinetic energy minus the initial, or in other words, the change in kinetic energy. We have therefore proved that the net work done on a system is equal to the change in kinetic energy of the system, which we can represent with this formula:
Learn the basics of work, energy, and power with clear definitions, formulas, and real-life examples for students.